PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY:
The
state was founded
in 1631 by Kunwar Madho Singh of Bundi.
His Highness the Maharao maintains a military force of 949 cavalry,
5756 infantry, and 148 guns, and is entitled to a salute of 17 guns (as
of 1892). Rulers were...
- Rao MADHO SINGH,
1st Rao of Kotah 1631/1648, he was made
the ruler of Kotah by the Mughal
Emperor Shahjahan in recognition of his military service to the
emperor; married and had issue. He died 1648
aged 66.
- Rao Mukund Singh (see below)
- Maharaj Mohan Singh, he was granted the Jagir of Palaitha,
married and had issue, the Rajgarh and Dabri families. He died in the
Battle of Dharmath near
Ujjain on 15th April 1658.
- Maharaj Kuniram Singh [Kanhi Ram], he was granted the
Jagir of Koela,
married and had issue. He died in the Battle of Dharmath near
Ujjain on 15th April 1658.
- Rao Pem Singh [Paim Singh] (qv)
- Maharaj Jhujhar Singh, he was granted the Jagir of Kotra,
married
and had issue. He died in the Battle of Dharmath near
Ujjain on 15th April 1658.
- Maharaj Kishore Singh, he was granted the jagir of
Sangod, and later succeeded as Rao Kishore Singh I (see below)
- Rao MUKUND SINGH,
2nd Rao of Kotah 1648/1658, his initially
prosperous reign was cut short by the war
of succession for the Mughal throne amongst the sons of Emperor
Shahjahan, he sided with Shahjahan’s eldest son Dara
Shikoh who was pitted against the army of his younger brothers,
Aurangzeb and Murad, Dara Shikoh’s army was commanded by Raja Jaswant
Singh of Jodhpur, who was assisted by Rao Mukund Singh, the two armies
met on the battlefield at Dharmath near
Ujjain on 15th April
1658, the Rao and his
three younger brothers, were killed on
the battlefield and the youngest brother, Kishore Singh, was found
grievously injured with 42 wounds lying under a heap of corpses but
with some signs of life, he was taken to Kotah to
recuperate; married and had issue, one son. He died in the Battle of
Dharmath near
Ujjain on 15th April 1658.
- Rao JAGAT SINGH,
3rd Rao of Kotah 1658/1683, born 1644,
within a year of succeeding to the gadi, he was
called on to serve the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, and he asked his
uncle, Kishore Singh, to assist him and on 2nd January 1659, the Kotah
forces joined the Imperial Army in attacking Shuja,
another of Aurangzeb’s brothers. He was killed in October 1683 (Kartik Shukla Panchmi
V.S.3 1740) whilst fighting against Sheikh Minaz at
Hyderabad.
- Rao PEM SINGH, 4th
Rao of Kotah 1683/1684 (deposed), within
a year of his
installation, the nobles of Kotah deposed him and sent him back to
Koela.
- Rao KISHORE SINGH I,
5th
Rao of Kotah 1684/1696, he
initially was granted the
Jagir of
Sangode,
married and had issue, three sons. He died in April 1696 in the
battle of Arni in Karnataka.
- Rao Bishen Singh (qv)
- Rao Ram Singh I (qv)
- Maharaj Harnath Singh, he was killed fighting for Rao Ram
Singh against Bishen Singh, the eldest brother; married and had issue.
He was killed in 1696 at the battle of Anwa.
- Maharaj (name unknown)
Singh,
he was granted the jagir of Sangod.
- Rao BISHEN SINGH,
6th Rao of Kotah 1696/1697, he succeeded to the throne when the news
of his father’s death reached Kotah, his brother, Ram Singh, requested
leave from the Emperor
Aurangzeb in order to travel to Kotah to pay obeisance to his elder
brother, Aurangzeb agreed and made Ram Singh a Mughal mansabdar of
3,000 and
commander of 3,000 horses, Aurganzeb also conferred Kotah upon Ram
Singh and gave him an Imperial sanad for the kingdom as well as
providing a contingent of the Imperial Army to accompany Ram Singh to
Kotah; Ram Singh arrived at Kotah with his army in 1696, and a battle
was
fought between the brothers at Anwa, with the youngest brother, Harnath
Singh, siding with Ram
Singh, Bishen Singh was grievously wounded on the battlefield and
Harnath Singh was killed, Bishen Singh was carried away to his in-law’s
jagir at Pander near Jahajpur in Mewar; married Rani Ranawatji, and had
issue, she committed sati upon his funeral pyre
and a cenotaph still marks the site where Bishen Singh was cremated. He
died 1699 from his
wounds at Pander.
- Maharaj Prithvi Singh, Thakur Sahib of Antah, he was
invited to return to Kotah from
Pander by Rao Ram Singh, a few years after the Rao had seized the
throne; he was granted the jagir of
Antah, which included Antah town and twelve villages with a revenue
of Rs. 40,000; married and had issue, five sons.
- Kunwar Bhopal Singh, he was poisoned in court
intrigues. He died vpsp.
- Rao Ajit Singh (qv)
- Maharaj Soorajmal, he was granted the jagir of
Aton/Bambolia (12 villages and 40,000Rs), married
and
had issue.
- Several generations
- Maharaj Dhirat Singh of Amli.
- Maharaj Chaggan Singh of Kotra, married and had
issue.
- Kunwar Jai Singh, he was adopted by Maharaj
Narsingh Singh, Thakur Sahib of Bambolia, and succeeded there as
Maharaj Jai Singh, Thakur Sahib of Bambolia.
- Kunwar Udai Singh, he was adopted by Maharao
Shatrusal II of Kotah in 1889, and succeeded there as Lt.-Col.(Hon). HH
Maharao Mahendra Shri Sir
Umaid Singh II Bahadur (see below)
- Maharaj Bakhat Singh, he was granted the jagir of Itawa
(30,000Rs)
- Maharaj Chain Singh, he was granted the jagir of
Sorkhand (20,000Rs)
- Rao RAM SINGH I,
7th Rao of Kotah 1697/1707, went with his
father to the Mughal court and served him faithfully; he took part with
his father at the
battle of Arni in Karnataka where Rao Kishore Singh was killed in April
1696; married (amongst others), a
sister of Raja
Himmat
Singh of Umri, and had issue. He died 1707 in the battle of Jajaw
whilst fighting for
the Mughal prince Azam, the Viceroy of the Deccan, against Prince
Moazzam in the battle of succession amongst Aurangzeb’s sons.
- Maharao Bhim Singh I (qv)
- Maharao BHIM SINGH I,
8th
Rao of Kotah 1707/1720, he was
granted the title of
Maharao and punj hazari; married and had issue. He
died 19th
June
1720.
- Maharao Arjun Singh (qv)
- Maharaj Shyam Singh, died 1723.
- Maharao Durjan Sal (qv)
- Maharao ARJUN SINGH,
9th
Rao of Kotah 1720/1723, married
the sister of Kumar
Shri Madhosinhji Jhala. He
died sp 1723.
- Maharao DURJAN SAL,
10th
Rao of Kotah 1723/1756, married
the daughter of the
Maharana of
Mewar.
He died sp 1756.
- Maharao AJIT SINGH,
11th
Rao of Kotah 1756/1758 and Thakur Sahib of Antah; he was adopted
on Maharao Durjansal’s death and
ascended the Kotah gaddi, but died after ruling for only
a year-and-a-half; married
and had issue. He
died in 1758
aged
over 80 years.
- Maharao Shatrushal Singh I [Chhatar Sal] (qv)
- Maharao Guman Singh (qv)
- Maharaj Raj Singh
- Maharao SHATRUSHAL SINGH I,
12th
Rao of Kotah 1758/1764, died sp
1764.
- Maharao GUMAN SINGH,
13th
Maharao of Kotah 1766/1771, married
and had issue. He
died 1771.
- Maharao Umaid Singh I (qv)
- Maharaj Goverdhan Singh
- Maharaj Gopal Singh
 Maharao UMAID SINGH
I, 14th Maharao of Kotah 1771/1819, born 1761, married and had
issue. He
died
21st November 1819.
- Maharao Kishor Singh II (qv)
- Maharaj Bishen Singh, born about 1784.
- Maharaj Prithvi Singh, born about 1792, married and had
issue.
He died 1st
October
1821.
- Maharao Ram Singh II (qv)
- Maharjkumari (name unknown), married the Maharana
of Udaipur.
- Maharao KISHOR SINGH II,
15th
Maharao of Kotah 1819/1828, born about 1781, married
and
had issue.
He
died 20th July 1828
- Yuvaraj (name unknown)
Singh,
died August 1825.
- Maharao RAM SINGH II,
16th
Maharao of Kotah 1828/1866, in 1838 it was resolved,
with the
Maharao's
consent, to dismember the state, and to create the new principality of
Jhalawar as a separate provision for the descendants of Zalim Singh
(see Jhalawar);
married (amongst others), (a), the daughter of Maharaj Maha Singh of Jaisalmer, married (b),
Maharani Mehtab Kunwar, second daughter of Raja
BHIM SINGH II of Banera, and his third
wife, Rani Bhatiyaniji, and had
issue.
He died 1866.
- Maharao Shatrushal Singh II (qv)
- Maharao SHATRUSHAL SINGH
II, 17th Maharao of Kotah 1866/1889, born 1837, married the
daughter of the
Maharaja
of Karauli, died sp 11th June 1889.
- Colonel
HH Maharao Mahendra Shri Sir UMAID
SINGHJI II Bahadur, 18th Maharao of Kotah 1889/1940, born 5th
September 1873 as Kunwar Udai Singh, son of Thakur Chaggan Singh of
Kotra,
G.B.E.(civil) [cr.1918], G.C.S.I. [cr.1911], G.C.I.E. [cr.1907],
K.C.S.I.
[cr.1900], enjoys a personal salute of 19 guns, married 1stly, 21st
November
1892, a daughter of HH 108 Sri Maharaj Adhiraj
Raj Rajeshwar Ravi Kula
Bushana-Mahi
Mahindra Yavadarya Kula Kamaldhivakara Chattis Rajkul Singar Maharana
Shri Sir
FATEH SINGHJI Bahadur Hindua Suraj Hindupati, Maharana of
Udaipur, married 2ndly, 17th April 1897 at Bhuj,
Maharajkumari Kesaba Saheb, daughter of HH Maharajadhiraj Mirza Maharao
Shri Sir Khengarji
Pragmalji III Sawai
Bahadur of Kutch, married 3rdly, 1908, a
sister of the
Thakur
of Isarda. He died 27th December 1940.
- HH Maharao Shri BHIM
SINGH II Bahadur, 19th Maharao of Kotah 1940/1991, born
14th September
1909,
educated at Mayo College, Ajmer (Class-Captain 1928/29) from where he
obtained
his Diploma. He was Head monitor and captain of the College Cricket
Team
and held college colours for tennis. He was Patron and President of the
Governing Body of Mayo College. He was Honorary Brigadier in the Indian
Army and also Honorary Colonal of the 17 Poona Horse. During the Second
World War he was a member of the Viceroy's War Council. Up-Rajpramukh
of
Rajasthan State 1948/1956. He has also served as India's alternate
delegate
to the United Nations General Assembly in 1956 and has travelled
extensively
all over the world. He Is keen sportsman and a wildlife photographer of
repute. His study of wildlife is well known. He was President of the
Rajasthan
State Board of Wildlife since its inception and is now a Member of
Rajasthan
Wildlife Advisory Board. He has also given generous donations for
educational
and other purposes including a donation of 700,000Rs for the
construction
of a general hospital in Kota, which is known as 'Maharao Bhim Singh
General
Hospital.' He was Vice-President of Bikaner Thunderbolt Rifle Club and
also a Life member and Vice-President of the National Rifle Association
of India. He was patron of Kota Rifle Club and President of Rajasthan
State
Rifle Association. He was one of India's top shooters in Skeet and had
been taking part In the National championships for the over 25 years.
During
this period he had won National championships a number of times and
Kota
Team Championship several times. He has also represented India in the
following
shooting championships: Took part in the Pre-olympics at Tokyo 1963,
was
Captain of the Indian Shooting Team which participated in the Singapore
Shooting Championships in 1969. Member of the Indian Shooting Team for
the World Shooting Championships at San Sebastian, Spain in 1969,
represented
India in the Polar Prize held in Finland 1970, represented India in the
2nd Asian Shooting Championships held at Sepul, missing the third
position
by only one point 1971, represented India in the VII Asian Games in
shooting
held in Tehran 1974, represented India in the 3rd Asian Shooting
Championships
held at Kuala Lumpur 1975, Captain of the Indian Shooting Team which
took
part in the Montreal Olympics 1976 (in the selection trials he broke
the
National Record by shooting 195 birds out of 200 which included 100
straight
birds), Captain of the Indian Shooting Team for the VIII Asian Games
held
In Bangkok 1979. Vice-President of the National Rifle Association of
India,
President of the Rajasthan State Rifle Association, Member of the IX
Asian
Games General Organizing Committee. Awarded the 'Arjuna Award' in 1971
for the sport of Shooting, married 1930, HH
Maharani
Shiv Kumari, born 1913, daughter of Maj.-Gen.HH
Maharajadhiraj Raj Rajeshwar Narendra Siromani Maharaja Sri Sir GANGA
SINGHJI
Bahadur of Bikaner,
and
his second wife, HH Maharani Sri
Bhatiyaniji Sahiba; M.L.A. of Khanpur,
District Jhalawar for one term,
from
1966 to 1971, and had issue, one son and two daughters. He died
20th July 1991.
- HH Maharao Shri Brijraj Singh Bahadur (qv)
- Maharajkumari Indra Kumari [HH Rani Indra Kumari of
Rajgarh], married HH Raja Rawat VIKRAMADITYA SINGH
Bahadur of Rajgarh,
M.P., born 18th December 1936.
- Bai Saheba Bhuvaneshwari Kumari [Thakurani Bhuvaneshwari
Kumari of Malasar], married Thakur Devi Singhji of Malasar.
- HH Maharao Shri BRIJRAJ
SINGH Bahadur (see above)
|
born 21st
February 1934, Chairman Board of Directors, Central Co-operative Bank,
Kotah, 1959/61; Member, State Board for Preservation of Wildlife,
rajasthan,
1959/74; Member of Lok Sabha 1962/67 and 1967/70; Member, Consultative
Committee on Defence in Parliament from 1962/77; Member, Consultative
Committee
on Civil Aviation In Parliament 1962/71; Member, Consultative Committee
on Atomic Energy in Parliament 1968/71; Member, State Planning Board,
Rajasthan,
1962/66; Member (Associate), Delimitation Commission for Rajasthan,
1964/66;
Member, Estimate Committee of Parliament, 1964/65 and 1969/79; Member,
Zila Parishads of Kota and Jhalawar, 1962/77; Member, Programme
Advisory
Committee, A.I.R., Jaipur 1964/67; Member, Soil Conservation Centre,
Kota,
1965/70; Member, Nehru Memorial Fund's Sub-Committee, Rajasthan,
1965/70;
Member, Mayo College General Council, Ajmer 1955/60 and 1962/-; Member,
Board of Governors, Mayo College, Ajmer 1974/-; President, Kshatriya
Shiksha
Pracharak Samiti Hadoti, Kota 1962/-; Member, Indian Goodwill
Delegation
to Malaysia, 1965; Member, Council for Development of Automobiles
Tractors,
etc. 1958/70; Director, The Bank of Rajasthan Ltd, 1963/69; President,
Bal Hitakari Samiti, Kota, 1966/-; President, Small Industries Chamber,
Kota, 1970/-; Member, Indian Board for Wildlife, 1974/77. Recreation
and
Hobbies: Photography, painting, hunting, reading, motoring and gliding.
Has been a top trap shooter In All-India National Championships. Stood
first in team event for Trap in 1955 and won bronze medal in 1963 for
Individual
Championships in Skeet. Clubs and Associations: President, Old Boy's
Association,
Mayo College, Ajmer, 1953 (1976/1981); President, Working Committee of
Old Boy's Association, Mayo College, Ajmer 1974/77 and 1981; married
1stly,
5th December 1956 (annulled 11th September 1963 in Bombay), HH Maharani
Maheshwari Devi, daughter of HH
Maharawat Sir Ram Singhji II Bahadur of Pratapgarh,
married 2ndly, 1963, HH Maharani Uttara Devi, daughter of Maharaj Kumar
Indrajitendra Narayan of Cooch
Behar, and his wife, Rani Kamala Dev, and has issue.